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The cover of the Portuguese Military Magazine The oldest in the world! |
1 – Introduction
“CRISTÓVÃO COLON (COLUMBUS) WAS PORTUGUESE” is the title of the book written by Manuel Luciano da Silva and Silvia Jorge da Silva.
This work presents several characteristics that are uncommon and we need to accentuate them.
First – It does not follow “the usual historic truth” on both sides of the Atlantic, that ascribe to the famous Navigator different nationalities, except the Portuguese one.
At the same time, this book affirms that North America (The United States of America – USA and Canada) was discovered by Portuguese Navigators, before Cristóvão Colon (Columbus) initiated his first voyage.
Second – Its Authors, married, are Portuguese - Americans with passports of both nations, Portugal and USA. Manuel Luciano da Silva was born in Portugal and emigrated to the USA, more than 60 years ago. He returned to Portugal and obtained his Medical. Degree from the University of Coimbra and then returned to the USA where he practiced Internal Medicine. Silvia Jorge da Silva was born in Portugal and has resided in USA since 1961. After immigrating to the USA she obtained a Master’s Degree from Brown University and even taught at the university level.
Third – The studies and conclusions presented in this book are shown in coherent form and difficult to refute, because they are based on research of documents and monuments in localities where they are preserved, which does not always happen with such studies related to history.
Fourth - As a perfect example I would like to point out the discovery by the Authors, in the Library of the Vatican, of one Papal Bull written in Latin, where the name of the Navigator appears totally in Portuguese. According to this book such a discovery was never before made by any other historians.
Fifth – All the Author’s research and work that are treated in this book were accomplished without interfering in the Authors’ professional duties. On the other hand the Authors did not receive any monies or scholarships from any governments or Institutions to support the success of their historical findings. They are therefore totally independent and free from any constraints in their activities and in their historical conclusions.
Sixth – It is obvious, their determination, the courage and the labor was spent on their search for the truth. Their honesty is noteworthy in their pursuit of research and respective conclusions, comparing the various known theories with the various facts that were studied.
I strongly recommend the reading of this book “Cristóvão Colon (Columbus) was Portuguese” so that the reader will be able to understand the conclusions based on the facts presented.
This book was adapted into a movie entitled “Christopher Columbus, The Enigma” produced by Manoel de Oliveira. The movie won the prize “Bisoto D’Oro (Gold Medal), on September 8, 2007 at the International Film Festival, in Venice, Italy.
The Director Manoel de Oliveira also received the highest Award of the American Film Institute “The Silver Legacy Award” when this movie had its American première, in Silver Spring, Maryland USA.
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Cover of the American Edition |
2 – The actual interest of this book
The reader may ask about the present interest in the contents of this book “Cristóvão Colon (Columbus) was Portuguese”. From my perspective, it is very important to acquire the knowledge in this book, including the questions that it deals with, especially for the Portuguese.
For of two reasons:
The first reason has to do with the fact that the Navigator had Portuguese Nationality, and the second fact is that the Portuguese navigators first discovered the territories of the two large countries of North America, USA and Canada before Colon (Columbus) initiated his first voyage in 1492. These are facts that should give much pride to the present and future generations of Portuguese and also serve as an example to increase the prestige of Portugal.
The second reason concerns the potential utilization of the study dealing with the economic, financial and strategic period of the Great Portuguese Discoveries. During the XV an XVI centuries, Portugal enjoyed a great period of splendor and richness. How was that possible?
We must consider that the period of Portuguese discoveries and expansion had to have the support, not only courage, sacrifice and determination, but also adequate scientific bases, knowledge and know how, in organization and strategic studies. Admiral Gago Coutinho demonstrated this very well in his book “The Nautics of the Discoveries” when he stated that Portugal before it discovered LAND had to discover the SEA, knowing its wind and currents and the techniques of navigation. These facts demanded that Portugal as a nation elaborate its choices concerning its OBJECTIVES for a LONG PERIOD and the establishment of strategic techniques (modalities of action) to obtain them.
But we feel that there is other knowledge that we can take from the study of the Portuguese History of the XV and XVI centuries and relate it to present interests. The methodology drawn from Portuguese splendor and richness was not, for sure, accompanied by the organization and strategy that would permit Portugal to take full advantage, over a long period. Agriculture and industry did not developed adequately; almost everything began to be acquired from the outside. In real terms, the money entered one way and exited in another. Substantial development was not attained. Holland and England that began developing much later, were able to attain it. We understand by substantial development the capacity of a nation or state to be able to produce products and services, in quantity and quality, capable of their complete independence and providing an acceptable standard of living for each and every citizen with a sense of responsibility and desire to work. All this must be in a regimen of liberty and democracy.
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Atlantic currents: in the north are clockwise, on the south are counterclockwise |
Portugal, at the present time, is living in a difficult situation, with predictable economic crisis, financially and socially above their means. It is indispensable to change mentalities and attitudes and change them fast.
There is a well studied principle in the mathematical techniques to support management, the Principle of Optimality (Richard Bellman 1959). It is a mathematical process of some complexity, which I explain by a simple idea: independently from the course already gone through to get to the present state, we must proceed in a positive way and go forward. It is obviously indispensable for the country to solve the immediate problems and also over the medium length of time. It is also necessary to define how Portugal aspires to be in the future, let us say in next thirty years, to choose general objectives and also the large lines of knowledge of (strategic) action so it can reach them. This challenge should be met with the knowledge, or better still, with the collaboration of all Portuguese.
Returning to the work of Manuel Luciano da Silva and Sílvia Jorge da Silva, their patriotic attitudes, work, honesty and courage demonstrated in their historic studies and the way they did them and how they conducted their professional life, helping the Portuguese American Communities, they can be considered true examples for today’s generations.3 – The most relevant facts of this book
The book “Christopher Columbus was Portuguese” is divided into 4 parts:
First Part - How the Authors demonstrate the Portuguese nationality of the Navigator Cristóvão Colon (Columbus).
Second Part – The Dighton Rock, The Newport Tower and the Ninigret Fort: monuments related to the Portuguese presence in North America.
Third Part – Portuguese pioneering cartography of North America: demonstration of the arrival of Portuguese Navigators in today’s territories of USA and Canada, before the voyages of Colon (or Columbus).
Fourth Part – Colofon or the last part: refers to the facts related to the life and Biography of both Authors, their relationships with Portuguese Communities in North America, Bibliography and the Index.
Next, the most relevant aspects of this book as presented:
3.1 - The First Part: Cristóvão Colon (Columbus)
Demonstration of his Portuguese Nationality.
3.1.1 – Colon’s Sigla
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Monograma Sigla |
The Navigator Cristóvão Colon obtained, from the Spanish Royal Monarchs, the promise that he would receive 10% of all the profits of the lands he would discover. Expecting eventual problems of inheritance after his death, Colon decided to compile a book with 44 documents as proofs given to him by the Spanish Monarchs. This book has the title of “Cartas Privilegios Células Y otras escrituras de Don Xpoval Colon Almirante Mayor del Mar Oceano vice-rei Y Gobernador delas Islas y tierra Firme” which was reviewed by the Navigator and examined by attorneys and notaries, on January 5th, 1502, in his home in Seville.
The Navigator also decided to leave, in testamentary form, a recommendation, as he wished, his heirs to authenticate his documents , with his signature or Sigla. He described in his own writing the contents of his Sigla. In his description we can see two Portuguese words ‘agora’ = ‘now’ and ‘com’ = ‘with’, and not ‘con’ with the letter n as it is in Spanish.
After a profound analysis of the Sigla the Authors conclude that the bottom of the Sigla contains the following names Colon Cristóvão Colon.
3.1.2 – The Papal Bulls or Papal Documents
The idea of searching for papal documents came to Manuel Luciano da Silva when he was studying a copy of the Treaty of Tordesilles, which originally he had seen in the National Archives of Simancas, Spain. The Treaty of Tordesilles of 1494 seems to be the decision of a Supreme Court, dividing the world between Portugal and Spain. It was the Pope who pronounced the decision. At that time, the Supreme Judge was effectively Pope Alexander VI. Both Authors thought possibly that documents related to the discovery of America could have been submitted to the Papal archives. In a stroke of luck, they decided to visit the Vatican Library to verify the actual existence of such documents. They were successful in their search, because they discovered Papal Bulls with references to Colon, particularly the first two with special interest.
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| Cristofõm Colon on the Papal Bull |
In the Papal Bull dated May 3rd, 1493, on the second page, line 11, we can read in Latin – dilectum filium Crhistophõm Colon – “my dear son Crhistophõm Colon”. Please, note that the name is Colon, not Columbus.
On the other Papal Bull dated May 4th, 1493, on the first page, line 31, we can read the complete name of the Navigator written totally in old Portuguese CRISTOPHÕM COLON. We should note the tilde on the second Õ, which does not exist in any other language, except in Portuguese. We should emphasize that the name of the Navigator is not written in Latin, “Christopher Columbus”, nor in Italian “Cristoforo Colombo”.
Neither is it in the Spanish “Cristóbal Colon”, even though Pope Alexander VI was born in Spain and the Papal Bulls were addressed to the Spanish Royal Monarchs.
The book states that: “the discovery of the name Cristophõm Colon written on the Papal Bulls was a very simple discovery, but NO historian was able to do it before us. This is the reason why we registered our discovery with a copyright in the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C.”
3.1.3 – Monogram
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Monogram of Salvador Fernandes Zarco |
On the documents signed by Colon, using his Sigla, on the left side, there appears a Monogram. What does this mean? After sustained research the Authors conclude that the Monogram corresponds to the initials of the name Salvador Fernandes Zarco which was the baptismal name of Cristóvão Colon.
Dom Fernando, First Duke of Beja, son of the Portuguese King Dom Duarte, impregnated a young lady from the Court named Isabel Gonçalves Zarco, daughter of João Gonçalves Zarco, the discoverer of Porto Santo and Madeira Islands. From this forbidden love a son was born in Cuba, Alentejo, to whom the name of Salvador Fernandes Zarco was given. In support of these conclusions: Cristóvão Colon lived in and owned a house on the island of Porto Santo and furthermore gave the name of Cuba to the largest island in the Caribbean.
The Authors searched for other answers to the paternity of Colon through the scientific method of DNA (DesoxiboNucleicAcid), by comparing DNA samples of living males or bone samples belonging to the dynasties of Avis, the House of Bragança, and of the House of Verágua in Spain. Professor Francisco Corte Real, Professor of Forensic Medicine of the University of Coimbra is involved in this research.
The chapters treating the DNA studies reveal minute and curious details concerning this matter connected to Forensic Medicine.
3.1.4 – 40 Portuguese Names in the Caribbean
It is well known that the Portuguese left their mark in many places during the great discoveries of the XV an XVI centuries. Throughout the world they left their language, giving Portuguese names to islands, bays and capes. A large number of Asiatic languages still maintain today Portuguese vocabulary. In the domain of Geography, even today, we find an appreciable number of Portuguese toponyns. And we do not find more, because during the 60 years Portugal was dominated by Spain, many land and place names were eliminated by England, Holland and France.
In the book written by Mascarenhas Barreto “The Portuguese Cristóvão Colombo – Secret Agent of King John II“ published in Lisbon in 1989, Barreto listed a total of 40 Portuguese toponyns, chosen by Colon, to name various places that he discovered in the Antilles and Central America. Barreto describes the historical reasons for the selection of names by Colon. Salvador as “his first name”; Cuba “the place where he was born”; “Isabel“ the name of his mother. Among the 40 Portuguese names mentioned by Barreto some are exclusively Portuguese such as Brasil, Cuba, Santarém, and Curacao. What a coincidence! And they are not noticed?
3.2 – Second Part: Dighton Rock, Newport Tower
and Ninigret Fort.
3.2.1 – Dighton Rock
Dighton Rock is a boulder weighting 40 tons, with the dimensions of 5 x 9.5 x 11 feet composed of sand granite, which migrated several thousand years ago from an unknown locale in North America. It rolled down until it settled on left bank of the Taunton River, in Berkley, in the Narragansett Bay, State of Massachusetts, USA, about 40 miles south of the City of Boston.
Until 1963 it was partially submerged by tidal waters. Its face has a trapezoidal shape inclined at 70 degrees towards the northwest, which has the inscriptions. Its face was visible only a few hours per day, because the tidal waters covered its face totally for 20 hours, per day. This circumstance, reinforced by local severe weather conditions, sometimes with a cover of ice during the winter, protected the inscriptions from further vandalism. Since 1974 the rock has been protected, in the Dighton Rock Museum, which was created by Massachusetts Law 5475.
3.2.2 – The Dighton Rock Inscriptions
The Dighton Rock and its inscriptions have motivated much curiosity and controversy for more than 300 years.
In accordance with the book we are reviewing, there are four different theories for the engravings on Dighton Rock as follows:
- American Indians
- Phoenicians
- Vikings
- Portuguese
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The Complete Corte Real Theory Flag # 1 - Portuguese Coat of Arms, U - shaped Flag # 2 - Portuguese Cross of Order of Christ Flag # 3 – Portuguese Coat of Arms, V- shaped Captain’s name: Miguel Corte Real Date: 1511 (numeral 5 like a capital S) |
In relation to these theories, the Authors refute the first three and defend the theory that the inscriptions are Portuguese. For this conclusion they present various demonstrations regarding dates, names and symbols. They argue, in a strong matter. The visible name of the Navigator Miguel Corte Real, the date 1511, the Portuguese Cross of the Order of Christ and the Coat of Arms of Portugal in a “V” shape.
It is a salient fact that the Cross of the Order of Christ (which appears on the sails of the “Nautical School Ship Sagres”) and on the military airplanes of Portugal) is exclusively Portuguese. No other nation possesses a cross identical to the Cross of the Order of Christ.
The Captain Miguel Corte Real, Portuguese Navigator was born in Angra, Azores, and left Lisbon on May 10th, 1502 in search of his brother Gaspar, who was lost in his voyage to North America in 1501. Both navigators never returned to Portugal.
The inscriptions of Dighton Rock are of Portuguese origin and there is no mystery about them, because it was common usage for Portuguese navigators to leave inscriptions or Padrões (Portuguese discovery markers) on the places they visited during the period of the great discoveries.
3.2.3 – The Portuguese Newport Tower
and the Portuguese Ninigret Fort
These two monuments situated in the State of Rhode Island, USA, in the Narragansett Bay, constitute proof of Portuguese presence in those areas around 1500. The Narragansett Bay has an area ten per cent larger that the Tagus River Bay, in the Lisbon Harbor, Portugal.
The Newport Tower is formed by eighth arches, similar to the “Charola” or main alter in the Convent of Tomar, the headquarters of the Cross of the Order of Christ, to which all the Portuguese Navigators belonged.The lime mortar of the Newport Tower was submitted to C-14 radioactive test. The Viking committee that obtained an authorization for this test concluded that the Tower of Newport was erected in the XVI century, with an error margin of plus or minus 50 years, therefore within the period that Miguel Corte Real was in the area.
The Ninigret Fort situated at the entrance of the same bay, presents vestiges (one open breach canon similar to those that exist in the Military Museum in Lisbon and one sword similar to the one in the Museum of Angra, Azores) which led the Authors to conclude that the Fort must be of Portuguese origin.
Besides the Tower and the Fort there are other facts presented in the book such as the intermingling between the Portuguese and the American Indians. Roger Williams, the founder of the State of Rhode Island, wrote in English that: “Some of these Indians are white” and furthermore names of Indian chiefs and even the tribal name resulted from the combination of Portuguese Words.
3.3 – Third Part: Pioneering Portuguese Cartography
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Nautical Chart of 1424 |
In this part the facts presented are based on the “Nautical Chart of 1424”, which originally was made of sheepskin and is preserved at the James Bell Ford Collection at the University of Minnesota, USA.
In Da Silva’s book the Nautical Chart of 1424 was divided into four parts for clearer presentation: 1st to the left is shown the date August 22, 1424 and the name of the cartographer, Zuane Pizzigano; 2nd the 4 islands in vertical order: Saya, Satanazes, Antilia and Ymana; 3rd at the center of this map, there are the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, Canaries and of Cape Verde; 4th On the right side, well delineated are the names of the Atlantic coast from Ireland all the way down to Cape Verde.
Even though the Author of the Nautical Chart of 1424 was Italian, we must emphasize that the names of the four islands, listed on the second part, are all written in Portuguese. Based on their original research and after comparing today’s islands of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward their book concludes that the True Antilles are these just mentioned islands and not those islands in Central America as it is usually asserted. In the English edition, the Authors blamed the University of Minnesota for not vigorously alerting the people of Canada and the United States of America to the true value and significance of the Nautical Cart of 1424,which is the true birth certificate of the two great nations.
3.4 – Colonfon or Last Part
3.4.1 – Biographies of the Authors
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Dr. Luciano da Silva e Esposa Silvia |
Manuel Luciano da Silva. Medical Doctor.
From his vast biography we will reveal the most important:
- He was born on September 5th 1926, in the village of Cavião, in the county of Vale de Cambra, Portugal. He attended primary school in Cavião and finished his high school in Oliveira de Azeméis.
- In 1946 he emigrated with his brother to Brooklyn, a borough of the City of New York, to live with their parents.
- In 1948 he entered New York University, obtaining a Bachelor Degree in Biological Sciences. In the same year he returned to Portugal and was admitted into the University of Coimbra, completed his Medical Degree with distinction in 1957.
- After practicing medicine for one year in Portugal he returned to USA to do a internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Afterwards he completed his specialization in Internal Medicine (three years), in the famous Lahey Clinic in Boston.
- Since 1963 he became a partner-member of the Bristol County Medical Center. He became also an active member of the staff of the Roger Williams Hospital, affiliated with the Medical School of Brown Medical School, in Providence.
- Married to the teacher Silvia Tavares Jorge they have two sons and four grandchildren.
- Besides his medical practice, Dr. Luciano da Silva has for more than five decades, investigated the history of Dighton Rock inscriptions etched by Miguel Corte Real in 1511. He demonstrated with original findings that the first European colony of New England was Portuguese. He has written on this subject many articles in Portuguese and in English and has made many radio and television shows to inform the general public about Portuguese American History.
- After researching for more than 20 years he published in 1971 the American edition the book “Portuguese Pilgrims and Dighton Rock” (sold out) and in 1973 the Portuguese edition “Os Pioneiros Portugueses e a Pedra de Dighton” (sold out).
- In 1970 he started a Sunday TV program entitled “Portuguese Around Us” which was transmitted during 20 years by Channel 6 of New Bedford, and then by channel 52 for 12 more years in Bristol County, in Rhode Island.
- From 1970 to 1984 he was the coordinator and moderator of another television program on Channel 12 in Providence, Rhode Island.
- In July 1997 he initiated a weekly program on the Portuguese Channel of New England, a new series in Portuguese entitled “Medical Tribune” with the duration of 30 minutes to inform and educate the Portuguese Speaking Community about various aspects of medicine.
- On May 18, 1998, in the City of Vale de Cambra, Portugal, an Association was incorporated called Dr. Manuel Luciano da Silva with the purposes of creating a Library-Museum contiguous to the house where he was born, in Cavião, Portugal. This Library-Museum was solemnly inaugurated on June 12, 2001.
- Together with his wife, Silvia Jorge da Silva, they wrote a new book “Cristóvão Colon (Columbus) was Portuguese” and its Portuguese edition was published in 2006 and the English version was published in 2008.
- On May First 2010, Dr. Manuel Luciano da Silva was inducted into the Rhode Island Hall of Fame, being the first Portuguese American immigrant to receive such a high award.
Sílvia Neto Tavares Jorge da Silva. Teacher.
- She was born in Santana de Cambas, County of Mértola, Alentejo, Portugal.
- She attended primary school and obtain a Teacher’s Degree in the City of Faro, Algarve.
- She taught primary school in the districts of Beja and Aveiro.
- On September 17, 1960, in the Cathedral of Oporto, Portugal, married Manuel Luciano da Silva and in the following year emigrated to USA.
- She is the mother of two sons and they have four grandchildren.
- She entered into Rhode Island College and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education. She obtained also a Masters Degree in Brazilian Studies at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. She went on to teach Portuguese at Rhode Island College.
- She has accompanied her husband with enthusiasm in his historical, cultural and social activities.
- She has been also the editor of his publications in Portuguese.
- She has been co-Author of this book about the odyssey of the Portuguese immigrants in North America.
4 - Editions of this book
Portuguese Edition:
Cristóvão Colon (Colombo) era Português
Manuel Luciano da Silva
Sílvia Jorge da Silva
1ª edição: Maio de 2006
QUIDNOVI
In English:
Christopher Columbus was Portuguese!
Manuel Luciano da Silva
Sílvia Jorge da Silva
Agosto 2008
Editor: Nelson D. Martins, PhD
Printed by Express Printing
974 North Main Street
Fall River, MA 02720
USA
drdasilva@dightonrock.com
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Synopsis of the contents of the book for this Magazine supplied by the Authors.
Cristóvão Colon was Portuguese
by Major General Lino José Góis Ferreira
This article pretends to refute the so called “usual historical truth” that there are several nationalities given to Cristóvão Colon, including Italian, Spanish and never the Portuguese one.
The book “Cristóvão Colon (Columbus) was Portuguese” authored by two Portuguese-Americans, married, Manuel Luciano da Silva (Medical Doctor) who has lived in USA for more than 60 years, and Silvia Jorge da Silva (Teacher), who has resided in USA for more than 40 years, is the basis for this article. Besides the conclusion concerning the Portuguese nationality of the famous Navigator, the book affirms and demonstrates that North America (today’s countries USA and Canada) was discovered by Portuguese Navigators, before Cristóvão Colon started his first trip to America.
We must emphasize that the Authors based their analysis on true historical documents and monuments to make their pragmatic conclusions.
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The original article was published by the Portuguese Edition of “Revista Militar” – 2506 - (Military Magazine) November 2010.
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